The North Will Rise Again
by jean d'arc
Summary: Tywin Lannister did not plan the Red Wedding. Lady Stark is rescued from the clutches of the Freys and Boltons by the Lannisters. Can there finally be peace in the Seven Kingdoms?
1. An Intercepted Package

**_The North will rise again. _**

**Summary: **

Tywin Lannister did not plan the Red Wedding. Lady Stark is rescued from the clutches of the Freys and Boltons by the Lannisters. Can there finally be peace in the Seven Kingdoms?

**_1\. An Intercepted Package_**

_"__From: Lord Walder Frey. _

_To: Lord Roose Bolton. _

_As agreed, the package will be on its way to the Dreadfort in three days. _

_Enjoy"_

After the so called Red Wedding, Tywin's men had been spying on the Twins for two weeks. They had camped out of sight, not too far from the Freys' castle. Lord Tywin and his son Tyrion, were discussing this parchment the captured raven was carrying.

"We arrived at the Twins the day after the bloody wedding. Nobody has left the castle since and this is the first raven we have seen in two weeks. What are they doing behind those walls? Stupid Freys can't follow simple instructions! They were supposed to hold the Starks, not massacre them!. What does he mean by _the package_? Why is Walder Frey sending Bolton a package? I should just raid the Twins and kill everyone inside. Eliminate the Freys from Westeros once and for all. Good riddance" Lord Tywin was raging.

"So, Father" said Tyrion, "why don't you? As much as I disliked the Stark boy, what the Freys did to them was despicable. I would have preferred to have him arrested, or better yet, have Jamie kill him in battle. The Freys are a good for nothing bunch of thugs."

"We would lose too many men. Besides, useless as they may be, I might have need of them again. Tyrion, get Bronn and a couple more men and go see about this package. They should be on the Kingsroad in three days."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three days later, on the Kingsroad.

Tyrion Lannister, his hired sellsword Bronn, and three other men were hiding on a hill top behind the trees waiting for the Frey men to appear.

"I see them. There's a cart. There are two men riding in front and two men in the back, one of them is wearing a hood in his head. The two in the front seem to have swords on them. One of the men in the back is holding a sword, but the other one, the one with the hood, is very still. I don't see no package, milord."

"Sonnis, are these the men you saw leave the Twins?" asked Tyrion.

"Yes, milord"

"What do you think Bronn? Can we take them."

"Pff.. I can. Can you?" replied the sellsword.

"I should deduct money for every disparaging comment I get from you."

"But you won't . …"

"I won't if you take all four men and find the package."

With a grin, Bronn took his bow and shot the man holding the reins. As he fell dead, confusion gripped the other three men in the cart: his companion tried to take the reins; the armed man in the back looked around to see where the arrow had come from; and the man with the hood jumped off the cart and started running towards the forest but he was stumbling and didn't seem to be able to run very fast.

"Jaced, shoot him! He's running away! You three" Tyrion said to Bronn and his other two men, "go attack the cart and kill the Frey men".

Bronn waited no time and ran towards the cart. Three against two was no contest and the fight was over before it began. Meanwhile, Jaced was able to hit the running man in the shoulder. He fell and cried and moved no more.

Tyrion inspected the cart and found no trace of any package. Maybe this is not the right envoy, he thought.

"So Bronn, who will tell my father we caught the wrong envoy?"

"You don't pay me enough to risk my life so", Bronn replied with a smirk.

"Well, before my father puts me on the stocks and has me publicly whipped, let's go see the hooded man."

As they approached, the hooded man started stirring but remained quiet. Tyrion lowered the hood and was shocked to the core by what he saw. The resigned sad face with pale blue eyes staring back at him belonged to a person he thought he would never see again.

"Seven Hells! Lady Stark! I thought you were dead!"

TBC


	2. Nightmares

**_WARNING: _**Miscarriage and mention of past rape and abuse in this chapter

**_2\. Nightmares. _**

Carefully, Bronn picked up Lady Stark in his arms. She looked very weak and had bruises all over her face and arms (and they suspected under her clothes as well). The arrow Jaced had hit her with was protruding from her back near the right shoulder, and she had badly twisted her ankle when she jumped off the cart. As they picked her up, she gave an ear piercing shriek and they saw blood coming from between her legs.

"Lady Stark don't move" said Tyrion soflty. "Let my friend carry you. He's big and strong and he won't drop you."

She said nothing as she was taken back to the cart. Sonnis, Jaced and the other man got rid of the Frey bodies and made room for themselves. They returned to the Lannister camp in their stolen cart. Bronn held Lady Stark firmly so she wouldn't move and hurt herself any further as blood continued to flow down her legs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Father" Tyrion shouted as he greeted his father. "We found the package. You won't believe what it was."

"Seven Hells" cried Tywin looking at the bundle in Bronn's arms. "Don't let anybody here see her. Make sure the girl does not see her. Take her inside my tent. Fetch a medic."

Bronn brought her inside followed in tow by Tywin. A few minutes later Tyrion walked in with the doctor. Slowly they removed her clothes and bathed her in warm water. All the while, she remained quiet, only whimpering a little when they touched her shoulder or any other wound. She did not seem to mind that four men were seeing her naked. When they were done cleaning her, the doctor started assessing the wounds.

"She is very weak, I don't think she has been properly nourished in quite a few days. She appears to have been beaten. There are bruises in her inner thighs and bite marks on her breasts, which lead me to believe she has been raped. Also, she has lost a lot of blood in what I believe was a miscarriage. She must have hit herself when she jumped off the cart and lost a child she was carrying. Her ankle is badly twisted, but I do not think it is broken. The arrow on her back does not seem to have made any serious damage. … I need to clean her birth canal and remove any remains of the dead baby. We need to apply ointment on the wounds, remove the arrow and bandage her ankle."

The three men listened to him intently wincing at every injury mentioned by the doctor. They watched as the doctor put his hands in between the woman's legs. She barely flinched when the doctor's hands penetrated her. She gave a soft moan as they covered her wounds in ointment. The doctor then asked Bronn to hold her tight. He needed for her to remain still to be able to remove the arrow. Bronn held her from the front and Tywin from the back. The doctor then pulled the arrow out of her back; she opened her eyes wide and stared at Tyrion, who shuddered as she cried out in pain. She fell silent again and the doctor bandaged her ankle tightly.

"She needs nourishment and fluids. She does not look strong enough to eat by herself and hold down solid food. I suggest we start by a broth of meat and vegetables. She needs to stay in bed for a few days. She should stay off her leg."

Tywin thanked the doctor and asked him to keep the woman a secret. Nobody could find out they had Lady Stark with them, at least for now.

The three men took it upon themselves to take care of the injured woman. They would give her spoonfuls of broth whenever she was awake, apply ointment to her wounds and change the bandages. She kept moaning and whimpering in her sleep.

"Please Ned, make it stop. Please Ned."

"Oh Robb. Please Robb, leave. Get up and leave."

"Please stop. Don't touch me."

"Please Ned. I need you."

She kept having images of men hurting her, hurting her son, doing unspeakable things to her. Sometimes she fought back. Other times she just lay back and resigned herself to her fate.

As she lay in bed, she was oblivious to a big manly hand softly wiping sweat off her forehead, whispering soft words to her ear and gently brushing her hair with his fingers.

TBC


	3. Rude Awakening

**_3\. Rude Awakening. _**

Soft bed. Warm clothes. She felt relaxed and rested like she hadn't felt in a while. Winterfell. She must be home. Ned was not lying next to her. He must have gone to his solar early. What time was it? Was it morning already? Should she get up? Yes, maybe she should, so she could break her fast with the children. Yes, she would do that. Call the children to her chambers. Sansa would bring lemon cakes. Maybe even Ned could come as well.

Catelyn's eyelids fluttered slowly. Her eyes started to wander around the room. Not Winterfell. Not home. Not even a room, but a tent. Suddenly she didn't feel as rested and relaxed. Actually, she felt very tired and in pain. Her whole body ached: her legs were sore, her insides were burning, her shoulder was on fire, her ankle was killing her. In an instant it all came back to her: Lysa's message, the King coming to Winterfell, Bran's accident, Ned and the girls leaving for King's Landing, the war, Ned's execution, Theon murdering Rickon and Bran, Sansa being a prisoner of the Lannisters', no word about Arya and her whereabouts, the wedding at the Twins, Robb murdered right in front of her, and then everything she had endured at the hands of the Freys. She had a vague recollection of somebody attacking the cart that was taking her to the Dreadfort and being carried in somebody's arms. As her eyes settled on Tywin Lannister whatever ray of hope she had of all this being just a long nightmare vanished in a second.

"Oh, so it's your turn now" she said. It was barely a whisper, but loaded with venom.

"Gods, no, Lady Stark! We didn't even know you were alive" replied Tyrion softly and even a bit taken aback by the accusation.

"We have been taking care of you for the past five days. A little gratitude would be in order I should say" added Tywin sternly.

"Why did you rescue me? I have nothing to offer. I pose no threat to you. …I have lost everything" the last part barely audible in a broken voice.

"Actually, we didn't know we were rescuing you. We intercepted a message from Walder Frey to Roose Bolton talking about delivering a package. We wanted the package. You were the package" said Twyin coldly. "Since we now have you and have made sure you are safe I believe we can come to an agreement with the North."

"Why would the North come to any kind of agreement with the Lannisters? You murdered their liege lord, my husband, and his men. You drove us to war. Why would _I_ come to any kind of agreement with you? The Lannisters killed my husband and lost my two daughters. Your son Jamie pushed my son Bran, a boy of not even ten, through a window crippling him, almost killing him. It was because of this stupid war that Theon took advantage of Robb's trust and raided our home. He killed my two babies. And then you conspired with the Freys to have us killed. Lord Bolton said so himself as he stabbed my son to death. And you want me to come to an agreement with you. Just finish your job and kill me" she said with a strength that surprised the three men in the room.

"I had nothing to do with the massacre at the Twins. I just told Lord Walder Frey to detain your son and his army so we could discuss peace terms. Besides, you're not so clean yourself, Lady Stark. You took both my sons prisoner. _You_ started this war when you kidnapped Tyrion. Let's let bygones be bygones and discuss peace terms, shall we?"

"Peace?" she cried "You want to talk about peace? You don't know what peace is. Men don't know what peace is. I saw it with my son and his bannermen when they crowned him King in the North, with Ned and his bannermen every time they went to war. I saw it with the Freys while I was …. I saw it with your son Jamie when he was our prisoner. I have been surrounded by men since this bloody war started. Men know nothing about peace. … Peace is waking up next to my beloved husband in our bed. Having Ned cover me with furs because it's a cold morning. Breaking our fast together with the children in my chambers. Robb talking about his sword fighting practice. Sansa bringing lemon cakes, oh gods, how she loves those lemon cakes. Having to swipe mud off Arya's face as she has been riding horses and sparring with Jory since early in the morning. Listening to Bran telling scary stories to Rickon just to frighten him, and then having Rickon climb into my bed just looking for a reassuring hug. Being all together, safe and sound in my chambers. That is peace. Can you give me that? … No? … Then do not talk to me about peace. Men do not know what peace is, they just know about war. "

She closed her eyes, visibly exhausted after her tirade. Both Tyrion and Bronn looked at her with a mixture of admiration and pity. Tywin, on the other hand, showed no emotion.

"You seem to forget that we saved your life, Lady Stark. My son brought you to my camp almost dead and bleeding through your cunt. We'll talk again once you have regained your strength. I may be able to give you some of that peace. Bye Lady Stark."

Lord Tywin turned around and left the tent followed by his son. Lady Stark remained with her eyes closed and slowly started to fall asleep. Again, she was oblivious to a big manly hand softly going through her hair and soft words being whispered into her ear.

TBC


	4. Peace Terms

**_4\. Peace Terms_**

The days went by and Lady Stark was getting stronger. She had become used to Tyrion and Bronn's company. The Imp could be very funny with his sarcasm and sometimes even made her smile. Bronn, however, did not say much, except for funny side comments to Tyrion. She felt as though he seemed uncomfortable around her. She saw the tent flap open and Lord Tywin walked in.

"Morning Lady Stark. My son tells me you are feeling much better."

"Yes, Lord Tywin, thank you very much"

"Oh, so we are also feeling civilized this morning".

She decided to ignore the comment, so Tywin continued.

"Are you ready to discuss peace terms with us?"

"Yes, Lord Tywin, I am. What do you propose?"

"The North and the South have not been getting along for a while. The bond was being held by a thread under my good-for-nothing son-in-law who thought ruling a kingdom involved drinking, jousting and whoring. He took the kingdom from the Targaryens and did shit with it. The realm owes me more money than I could count. That idiot of a grandson that I had continued to tear the kingdom apart. Killing your husband was just plain stupid. It's a good thing he was murdered. The kingdom is-"

"Murdered?" Catelyn interrupted. "Was King Joffrey murdered? When? How? Who?"

"Ha, you've been out of the loop Lady Stark" Tywin smirked. "Yes, he was murdered at his own wedding. Some people say it was my son Tyrion. Some say it was his wife-to-be, sweet Margeaery Tyrell. Some even say it was the lovely lady Sansa Stark"

Catelyn's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her daughter's name.

"No, she couldn't. She would never …."

"Wouldn't she?" retorted Tywin. "You have no idea what my grandson put her through. Did you know that he had her beat and humiliated? Did you know that after your husband's execution he found a much suitable match for a Queen and annulled the engagement? Did you know he forced her to marry someone else? Did you know he forced her to marry my son Tyrion?"

With every word that came out of Lord Tywin's mouth Lady Stark felt like falling deeper and deeper into an abyss. She barely had the strength to look into the Imp's eyes.

"Lady Stark, if it's any consolation, I swear I didn't touch your daughter. The marriage was never consummated. When we were both accused of murdering Joffrey I took her away and we fled King's Landing. My brother Jamie talked to my father and he agreed to give us shelter".

"Where is she?"

"She's here" said Twyin. "So, as I was saying before you interrupted me, the Kingdom is a mess. My youngest grandson Tommen is the King now, with my daughter Cersei acting as Queen Regent. She's as useless as a blind archer and too stupid and greedy to realize so. We can't hold the North as it is. The North has crowned its own King. The King is dead. They can crown a new one. I'll take care of the South and King Tommen."

"I want to see Sansa"

"All in due time. Do you agree to my terms?"

"So, we rule the North, you rule the South, we build another Wall to separate us and we never see each other again. Is that it?"

"I wouldn't be so drastic, but in a nutshell, yes".

"Where do we draw the line?"

"The Neck"

"And Riverrun?"

"South"

"NO!. We draw the line at Riverrun."

"Lady Stark, you're not easy to deal with. Riverrun belongs to the South, it always has, and you know it. Your uncle is the Lord of Riverrun now. Your brother is currently being held at the Twins. He will be released and named Lord of Riverrun where he will live with his Frey wife. Your uncle can go back to the Eyrie to live with your sister, whom my son says could use a bit of guidance. .. So, there you have it. Two separate Kingdoms. North and South. A friendly separation between two friendly Kingdoms. You will live in your beloved Winterfell and you will be able to visit your family in Riverrun whenever you wish. Or you can stay in the South. For all I care you can go live in Casterly Rock."

"Sounds fair. Will you meet with the North to tell them?"

"No, you will"

"You will come with me"

"Sounds fair"

"Can I see Sansa now?"

"Tyrion, go fetch the girl"

Catelyn and Tywin stared at each other in silence. My daughter is alive. My daughter is alive. My daughter is alive. That was all that was going through Lady Stark's head.

The flaps of the tent opened again and a beautiful young lady walked in, tall and slender with long wavy auburn hair.

"Sansa" Catelyn whispered.

"Mother? Oh, mother! What are you doing here? They told me you were dead! I can't believe this. How did you get here? And Robb? Is he with you? Have you seen Arya? I never saw her again after they killed father. Mother! I have missed you so much. I can't believe you're here! How did you get here? Were you really at the Twins? Where's Robb?"

"Sweetling, oh, my dear Sansa. Come here".

Oblivious to the other three men in the room, they hugged, cried, kissed and embraced each other for the longest time. Catelyn told Sansa about the war, Robb, the wedding at the Twins, but she didn't tell her daughter any details about her time with the Freys. They both cried again as Catelyn told her about how Theon had killed her two young brothers. They talked about Arya and where she could be. Sansa told her mother about her time in King's Landing. She confirmed what Tyrion had told Catelyn about their own marriage and Catelyn felt an odd sense of respect towards the Imp.

"We'll be home soon, sweetling, I promise".

TBC


	5. Meeting at Riverrun: Resolutions

**_5\. Meeting at Riverrun: Resolutions. _**

_From: Lord Tywin Lannister_

_To: Lord Brynden Tully._

_We shall meet to discuss peace terms. I have a proposition that will be advantageous to all. Gather all your bannermen and all the Northern Lords. We'll meet outside Riverrun in three week's time._

_***000***_

_Uncle, he tells the truth. I will see you at the meeting._

_With love,_

_You niece Catelyn Stark._

"What do you think, Lord Brynden?"

"It could be an ambush"

"I'm sure it's a trap, these Lannisters are not to be trusted."

"We could take advantage and plan an ambush ourselves."

Lord Brynden Tully was sitting in his brother's solar at Riverrun. With the passing of Lord Hooster Tully and the imprisonment of Edmure Tully, he was currently the Lord of Riverrun. He and his most trusted bannermen were gathered around the letter the raven had just delivered.

"This is my niece's handwriting. And she included both the Stark direwolf and the Tully trout sigils. I say we go for it. But we should be prepared in any case."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three weeks later, all the Tully bannermen plus the remaining lords of the North gathered in a field near Riverrun. At a glance it appeared as if a group of friends were just passing time. But every man was heavily armed under their cloaks and armed archers were hiding behind the trees. Five lone riders appeared on the horizon: one tall and proud; another one short and clumsy; another one big and agile; another one with long hair blowing in the wind; and the last one appeared to be younger and not so experienced at riding.

"Uncle!" one of the riders shouted.

"Catelyn!" replied Lord Brynden. "Oh, little Cat, so you're alive". And he hugged his niece close

"Uncle, meet Sansa, my daughter"

"Pleased to meet you young lady"

"Pleased to meet you my lord"

"Oh, Cat, she looks just like you. Where were you? I thought you had died at the Twins"

"I did, almost"

"So, how did you get together with Lord Tywin Lannister?"

"Long story uncle, but we bring news that could be very good for all of us. We should start the meeting"

So, all the Northern Lords, the Tullys, Catelyn, Sansa, Tywin, Tyrion and Bronn sat in a circle. Lord Tywin thought it was his place to start the meeting.

"My name is Tywin Lannister. I am the grandfather of King Tommen. I am tired of this bloody war which is only causing loss and grief to both sides. Nobody is winning. I propose a simple solution: separation. The North shall have its own King. I know King Robb is dead, you can chose another one. The South shall keep King Tommen and my daughter Cersei will act as Queen Regent until he comes of age. We will draw the line at the Neck. All the territories north of the Neck will answer to the King in the North. The cities south of the Neck, and that includes Riverrun, will answer to King Tommen. The South shall not take taxes or any kind of duties from the North. The South promises not to invade Northern lands. And the North agrees to the same vows towards the South. There will be a friendly relationship between both kingdoms with a friendly border."

"Does King Tommen agree to this?"

"He doesn't know and he will agree. I will make sure of that. And if my daughter is not happy she can go sulk in a dungeon."

Lady Stark and Sansa remained quiet as all the Northern men started arguing amongst themselves. Some agreed, some didn't. Many had doubts. Many did not trust the Lannisters' words. Finally somebody asked:

"Forgive me, but this all sounds very easy for my liking. The Lannisters are not famous for their honesty and honour. Lady Stark, if I may be so bold, how did you survive the massacre? Nobody else did, as far as I know. I do not dare doubt your words my lady, but you have to admit it sounds very suspicious."

Catelyn Stark would have preferred to remain inconspicuous. Now she had no choice but to speak up.

"Lord Umber, you are right. It does sound suspicious, but let me assure you, there is no subterfuge here. Many of our men died that day at the Twins. Your son died very bravely defending my son and his men. I should have died, too. If I survived it was not for my bravery or skill as a fighter. The Freys decided not to kill me. Instead they kept me prisoner in their castle. They did not take kindly to the slight my son had inflicted upon them. I really do not wish to discuss my imprisonment here and now, but I have the scars to prove that it was not pleasant. A few weeks after the bloody wedding, the Freys were going to hand me over to the Boltons at the Dreadfort. That's when the cart was intercepted by Lord Tyrion and his men. They took me to Lord Tywin's camp where they took care of me and brought me back to health. It was there that I was reunited with my daughter Sansa, who had been falsely accused of murdering King Joffrey. What Lord Tywin offers is true as far as I know. It's in our hands to take it. We'll have peace. The peace we sought. The peace my son fought for. The peace our men died for."

"Then, in that case, all we need to do is choose a King" somebody shouted.

"That will not be necessary" said Lord Umber.

"What do you mean, Lord Umber?" asked Lord Manderley. "Are you proposing it should be you? I could be King, too. Hey, anybody could be King!".

"No, the true heir to the crown is alive. King Robb's brother, Bran."

Catelyn could not help but gasp. Sansa, who had been looking at her mother ever since she had mentioned the scars of her imprisonment turned her eyes towards Lord Umber.

"They turned up at my household a few moons ago. They had escaped Theon's men when they raided Winterfell. They were accompanied by a wildling, my castellans said. My House has been taking care of them since. For their safety and my family's safety, their identity has been kept a secret."

"Long live the King in the North" said Lord Brynden Tully.

"But he's a cripple"

"He does not need to fight to be a King, nor ride"

"Oh, but he can ride, I saw him myself"

"Long live the King in the North!"

"King in the North!" shouted the men.

"Let's retake Winterfell"

"Winterfell belongs to the Starks"

"Death to the Boltons"

All this cacophony of sounds was insignificant to Catelyn. She was not paying attention to all these yells and declarations. _My babies are alive_, was all she could think. _Bran lives. Rickon lives_.

TBC


	6. Meeting at Riverrun: More good news

**_6\. Meeting at Riverrun: More good news_**

"Well, it is settled then" said Lord Tywin who had been a silent witness to all this discussion. "You will take care of the Boltons, reclaim Winterfell and rule your own kingdom. I will go to King's Landing and inform the Queen of this decision. I will go into the Twins. Lord Frey will release Lord Edmure Tully so he can reclaim his seat as Lord of Riverrun. Lord Brynden you can stay at Riverrun or go with your niece Lysa to the Eyrie, or do whatever you wish to do. If no one else has anything else to say I'll declare this meeting over and get on with my part of the agreement."

Lord Tywin returned to his conversation with Tyrion and Bronn, all the northern men were celebrating and Sansa decided to get to know her mother's uncle. Catelyn was still in a state of shock about the news she had received: her two youngest sons were alive after all.

"Little Cat" said Lord Brynden "your daughter is a very beautiful woman, and a very refined young lady. I have to admit, she's nothing like her sister".

"Oh, Arya, where are you?" Catelyn thought aloud in what came out as barely a whisper.

"She's safe, Cat"

"I keep telling myself that, but how can I be sure?"

"Because she's at Riverrun" her uncle softly told her staring deep into her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes" said Brynden with a broad smile on his lips "Back at the wedding, when I stepped out of the ball room to take a leak, I heard the commotion inside. I tried to get back in, but the door was locked. So I ran outside as the Frey soldiers were marching in. I was not armed. There was nothing I could do. I heard all the screaming. It was horrible. I felt like I was watching a nightmare wide awake. When everything cleared the following morning I saw the Freys take out all the bodies from the castle. I saw what they did to Robb's body" He heard Catelyn gasp and he continued "I'm so sorry my sweet one, there was nothing I could do. So I started wandering about in the woods and eventually found my way back to Riverrun. I was on the road when I met this man. His face was scarred and he was carrying a young boy. He stopped me and when he saw I didn't have the Frey sigil on me he asked me for my name. I was sure he was going to kill me right there and then. I was in such a state of shock that I didn't care. But no. When I told him my name, he gave me the boy he was carrying. Only it was not a boy, it was Arya. Oh, Cat, I thought you were dead. I was all this little girl had. I took her with me to Riverrun. She's there, she's home, she's safe."

Catelyn's mouth was agape. She could not process all this information. Three weeks ago, she was broken and alone in this world. Now she had regained her two daughters, two of her sons, her uncle, her house … her life. It was just too much. She could not control the tears flowing down her face. Her uncle held her as she trembled in his arms.

"I need to sit down" she said quietly.

"Come Sansa", Brynden said to Sansa who had remained quiet throughout the whole exchange. " Let's take a walk"

Catelyn was still wrapping her head around all the recent events, when she heard footsteps behind her and a soft cough.

"Lady Stark, are you all right?"

"Yes, Bronn" she smiled "more than all right. I'm flying" and she started laughing, harder and harder, almost hysterically. "You must think I'm crazy!".

"Well… that meeting was very enlightening. You get to go back home and your sons are alive."

"Yes. Sansa, Bran, Rickon. … And Arya. My uncle has just told me she's at Riverrun. Do you see this? Four of my children are alive! Three weeks ago I had none!"

"That is indeed good news. Congratulations, Lady Stark. So, are you going to take Winterfell back from the Boltons?"

"Apparently"

"I've never been so far North. Is it really that cold?

"Yes, it is. But it's also very beautiful. When the sun rises in the snow, and the white reflects the sunlight, the whole sky comes alive with colours."

" I would love to see that"

"Would you like to come?" she suddenly found herself asking him.

"I'd be honoured. My sword will be yours, Lady Stark".

"Thank you Ser Bronn."

"I am no Ser, … yet"

And they both smiled as Bronn sat down next to Lady Stark.

As all the Northerners and Tully men were still discussing amongst themselves, the Lannisters were getting ready to leave the gathering.

"Bronn, come on, we're leaving!" shouted Tyrion. "We'll go without you and leave you with these fine people".

"Why, I didn't think I was such a _high _priority for you" replied Bronn

"There goes another bag of silver I'm deducting from you" teased Tyrion.

"Actually, I'd like to collect my earnings".

"You dog, you're staying. You're staying with Lady Stark!"

"Maybe"

"I saw you with her just now. And I saw you back at our camp when she was sick. You were overly concerned about her. Would you have been that concerned if it were me?"

"Your tits are smaller".

"Yes, but not everything about me is small… All right, my friend. She's a fine lady. A little too hysterical for my liking. But strong and courageous. Between her words and your swords you'll be conquering kingdoms right and left. Let us go back to the camp so you can collect your things. You will miss my company, my friend"

"And I'm sure you will miss mine. Let's go, you can buy me one last ale"

TBC


	7. Home at last

**_7\. Home at last _**

"Catelyn, Sansa, welcome to Riverrun" said Brynden Tully with an exaggerated bow.

"You silly clown" replied Catelyn.

"Come on, I'm sure there is someone you want to see other than me"

As they walked to the stables Catelyn heard a voice she thought she would never hear again. There she was. Arya, as she had always been: knees scraped, her hair tousled, covered in mud, unkempt, messy, disheveled, dirty. In a word: Arya.

"Arya!" shouted Sansa

Arya turned around and stood still. She was confused. Was she seeing things? Her sister? Wasn't she in King's Landing? Her mother? But she died at the Twins all those weeks ago? She had seen the massacre. She had seen Grey Wind. She had seen Robb's body. But, come to think of it, she hadn't seen her mother's body.

"Sansa? Mother?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, sweetling, it's us. We're together again. And we'll get Bran and Rickon. We'll go back to Winterfell. We'll be a family again."

"No, mother. Winterfell is gone. Bran and Rickon are gone. I saw them kill father. I saw Robb's body. They're gone. They're all gone!"

"Yes, your father is dead, and so is your brother Robb. But I have been informed Bran and Rickon are alive. And so are we. We're going home, my sweetling", her mother said softly.

The three female members of the Stark family hugged and held each other as they cried.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The party travelling North on the Kingsroad was the largest Sansa had ever seen, even larger than when she had travelled South with the King. All the Northern Lords had gathered at Riverrun and were now marching together with a contingent of Tully army, a large group of soldiers from the Eyre Lysa had sent, and even a small group of mountain clansmen Lord Tyrion Lannister had supplied. Bronn had already joined them at Riverrun a few days after the meeting.

Two weeks it took them to reach the outskirts of Winterfell.

"Milords", said the scout "the town is just a few miles west. All the townspeople seem to be afraid of Ramsay Bolton, but they hate him. He takes heavy taxes and punishes people harshly and unfairly. Many of them will join us in battle if we take the castle. The castle appears to be in bad shape, but not heavily armed. I saw just one archer in each tower, and not many soldiers on the walls. The people in the town said they have seen people sneaking out of the castle in the dark these past few nights".

All the Lords and bannermen started discussing different strategies.

"We should approach and ask to meet with Ramsay Bolton"

"No, we should take advantage there are not that many soldiers and just raid the castle".

"We do that and we run the castle to the ground. Where will the King live?"

"Let's kill Bolton!"

"My Lords, Sers, please, calm down", said Lord Umber. "I believe the most sensible thing to do is to approach the castle as an army. Show Bolton our numbers and offer a chance to speak. Then, if he does not agree to see us, we attack."

They formed in a line. The Northern army, which was the largest one in numbers at the centre. To the right the army supplied by the Tullys. To the left, the army supplied by Lysa, Bronn himself and also the always dangerous mountain clansmen supplied by Tyrion. Together they posed a danger to be reckoned with.

"Lord Ramsay Bolton!. We seek an audience with Lord Bolton!"

"He's gone. He left three nights ago. We don't want no fight. He left us here, but he's not coming back. You let us leave unharmed and we'll give you the castle" said the one who appeared to be the highest ranked soldier.

"Come out, stand to the side and we'll go in. We promise no harm will come to you if you surrender the castle"

A small group of soldiers started to leave the castle.

"Is that all?" asked Lord Brynden Tully confused.

"Yes milord. Lord Bolton knew you was coming and that he couldn't hold the castle. He fled to his father."

A group of the Northern army and the mountain clansmen went inside the walls of Winterfell. Everybody else waited outside. From a safe distance the three Stark ladies waited with bated breath. They were so close to being home again. Arya was pacing, holding Needle in one hand. As much as she had cried and begged, her mother had absolutely forbidden her to join the soldiers. Arya had told her mother about all the battles she had been involved in and the people she had killed. She was not a little girl anymore, she claimed. Her mother had another opinion. Time went by very slowly. The soldiers that had gone in were taking too long to come back out. What if it was an ambush?

Finally they heard Lord Umber's grave voice:

"Winterfell is ours!"

Ramsay Bolton had indeed left three days prior when he realized he would not be able to repel the Northern army. He didn't have enough soldiers, and his father was not replying to his ravens.

As they walked past the drawbridge and inside the walls of their house, the Stark ladies could see the extent of the destruction. It was not as bad as they had originally thought. Apparently Ramsay Bolton had begun some reparation and reconstruction already. It wouldn't take long for them to get the castle in full operation again. Bolton had kept most of the servants from before. As they recognized and remembered their former servants, the members of the Stark family were immensely relieved. Their people had survived the war.

The girls ran to their room. Everything appeared to be alright. But many of the things they found they would not be able to use again. They were no longer little girls to play with their old toys. Their old clothes hardly fit them anymore. Besides, they had lost most of their personal belongings in Kings Landing. Sansa broke down when she saw the blanket she had given Lady for a bed. She would never see Lady again. Arya wondered where Nymeria was.

Catelyn stopped before going into her room. She was afraid of what she would find. She didn't know if anybody had used her chambers in her absence. But that was not what she was afraid of. She feared the memories.

TBC


	8. Epilogue: The King in the North

**_8\. Epilogue: The King in the North. _**

"Milady, we sent the raven only three days ago. You need to give the Umbers time to prepare the trip. Lord Bran has special needs that need to be catered for. They will be here in a matter of days, but you will bury yourself to the ground if you keep pacing like that. Spending your time by the window will not make them come any sooner."

"You're right, Genny" Lady Stark smiled "but I can't help myself. I haven't seen my boys in over a year. Rickon was five when I left him. What if he doesn't remember me?"

"He will, milady, he will"

One of the first things Lady Stark had ordered after they settled home again was to send a raven to Last Hearth to have the boys sent back to Winterfell. Lord Umber and his men left immediately so they could meet the boys on the road and bring them safely back home.

Reparations were under way and the castle was almost fully functional. The southern soldiers and the mountain clansmen had left, but her uncle had stayed. He was going to stay in Winterfell for a while and then he said he might be going back to the Eyrie with Lysa. The townspeople rejoiced at having the Starks back and the Boltons gone. Lady Stark had knighted Bronn, Ser Bronn now, and offered him a position as her personal bodyguard, which he took gladly. For some reason she felt safe around him.

She couldn't wait for the boys to get home and be a family again, just like before, before the war, before King Robert came and took Ned away. She could just hear Arya teasing Bran. Rickon playing in the yard. Sansa telling her stories about the boys in the town. As she reminisced about her children she failed to hear footsteps behind her. She heard a soft cough and turned around.

"Ser Bronn, what can I do for you?"

"I just came to see how you were doing, my Lady. Do you need more logs added to the fire? It takes a bit to get used to the cold of the North, but I'm getting there."

"I'm glad you're adjusting to life in the North. It took me a while when I first arrived here."

"You look worried. Are you afraid for your son? The rider said he should be here within an hour"

"He's too young. Too young to be a King. I could not protect his brother, what makes you think I can protect him?"

"I have seen you Lady Stark. If there is something that motivates you is the safety of your children. I saw it when I first met you at the Inn, when you kidnapped the Imp. You have a fire in you that is difficult to put out. Besides, you are not alone. You have an army ready to protect you and your family. You have many Lords that will gladly raise their swords to protect your son. You have your daughters to guide you in the right direction. … You have me for whatever you need." Bronn said looking deep into her eyes and she sensed a bold honesty seeping through his words.

"Thank you, Bronn" she said just a horn was blown.

"Your sons are arriving. Let's go greet the King in the North" he said. "May I?"

He took her hand and kissed it gently. She felt an odd sensation running through her veins. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Something that filled her with both dread and satisfaction. Something that made her feel both hot and cold. As he walked her down the stairs holding her hand, she started to think that maybe, just maybe … No, she couldn't. What about Ned? … Could he really want her? Even after what the Freys had done to her? He must heave seen her body, her scars, he must surely know what had happened at the Twins … Oh, Gods, Ned, I miss you … but you're gone …

When they reached the courtyard the commotion was such that she couldn't even hear her own thoughts. Everything was ready for the feast and coronation. Yes, there would be a feast. Much to her mother's chagrin Brandon Stark would be crowned King in the North and his mother would be Queen Regent until he came of age. Lady Stark remembered all too well what had happened to the previous King in the North. She certainly did not want to repeat that.

Being King involved a lot of responsibilities, not the least of which was to deal with the Boltons. What should they do with them? Roose Bolton had plotted against the previous King in the North and held the knife that killed him. Lady Stark remembered that all too well. His bastard son, Ramsay, had raided the castle of their liege lord and mistreated the people of the town. They needed to be dealt with. The Lannisters had promised to stay south of the Neck and leave the North alone. But their word was not to be trusted blindly. There had also been reports of strange creatures north of the Wall, and even some of them breeching past the Wall. Lord Eddard Stark had a lot of responsibilities, but he was only Lord of Winterfell. Bran would be a King, and not just of Winterfell, but of the North, a very vast and dangerous territory. Was he ready? Was she ready? She didn't know. All she knew was that together, the Starks would rise again. And the North may forgive, but it will never forget.

THE END.


End file.
